


memory and time

by oswinry



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 19:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17351576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oswinry/pseuds/oswinry
Summary: The Doctor, and a moment of frozen time.Title inspired by "Into the West" by Annie Lennox.





	memory and time

Drop to the ground, hit hard (limbs are so difficult to manage). A slight give in the soil.

Breathe in. A sharp smell, hint of dust, dry mouth. Exhale. A cloud forms.

Throw the cigar. Lift your fingers. A snap and the air shatters.

Time stretches,

_slows,_

stops.

You open your eyes to fire. The sky is gone. Hazy tendrils reach out, brush your face, snap back. Calculations were right, you’ll be fine if no one sits up. And why would they, after all, nobody’s that stupid except maybe Epzo. Your people have brains—

Is that a scream?

No, just a ribbon dissolving in the wind. What did it say? Was it important, you can’t quite—

Slowly, turn your head. Above you in slow motion the flames sway forward and back, forward and back. Why won’t time speed up?

Your friends are safe. Maybe. Something flickers at the corner of your eye.

Never, ever tell me— _Run you clever boy and_ —something— _This time the human race is saving_ —love is a promise— _this planet is defended_ —

2.47 billion dead _(alive)_

Close your eyes. The fire will burn itself out. Beneath you the dirt remains cool.

Open your eyes, fire furls up. Soon now. Beside you flames reflect in Yaz’s eyes. Her skin glistens with sweat. She looks for a moment like—like—

A cyberman beside you, roaring in fury, lost in battle and

she’s gone

(you could still hear her screams. Not telepathic for nothing)

and she’s back, there’s a drop of something like rain and something like galaxies on your face

_(did it happen? Or was it the fancy of a dying mind—_

A rush, and Time speeds up. No more fire, no more death ribbons.

Stars in your pupils.

You pop up, limbs jarring. Older than you look. “Right then, let’s keep moving!”

Yaz isn’t metal. Graham isn’t metal. Ryan is so very, very human. (“We’re human beings, show a bit of solidarity!”)

You’ll get them off this planet. No one lost to the fire.

_(today)_

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> You can also find me at my [tumblr](https://actual-bill-potts.tumblr.com).


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